Little Things || House Dimitrescu & Child!Reader

7 Years Old

"Thank you, Auntie! She's so pretty!"

You hear a soft chuckle coming from the young woman, before she motions to the room right across from this one. "Want to have a tea party, little doll?" She asks you and you agree with a nod, holding onto her outreached hand.

The tea party is held with Aunt Donna, Angie and you at one table, while some of the other dolls are seated at the two other tables. One might think that with all these dolls, it's just all playing pretend, but in House Beneviento the dolls are in fact alive and having a real tea party on Donna's command.

Sometime into the whole thing, you couldn't help but ponder on one question. One that you'd asked your family as well, but they didn't think it would be appropriate to tell you without Donna's consent.

"Auntie?" You ask, stirring your tea. She gives a slight hum so you continue. "Why do you wear that?" You point at her veil. "It's hard to read your emotions with that on..."

Donna stays quiet for a moment, clearly looking down at the tea cup in her hand. Even Angie, who is always too lively, isn't replying. All the other dolls seem to have stopped with their activities as well.

"I don't like showing my face." She says simply and quietly after a short while. You tilt your head and frown.

"Why not? I'm sure you're very pretty."

"Not anymore." Angie giggles, earning a glare from you.

"Don't be so mean, Angie." You chastise her and she shrugs at you, continuing making tea. You turn back to Donna.

"I have this... scar. It's not pretty to look at." Donna adds in an uncertain tone. She clearly doesn't like to talk about it, so you drop the subject.

"Okay! Thank you for telling me, Auntie." You smile, continuing with the tea party. You can feel your aunt smiling too, following your lead.

After tea, Donna takes you back downstairs to show you how she makes her dolls. Along the way, the two of you walk past a door that is curiously closed, while the other doors in the house are all wide open. It had been closed every single time you were here. Curiosity getting the better of you, you gently tug her hand which you were holding. Donna turns to you and stops walking.

"What's in that room, Auntie?" You question. For a brief moment you get no answer, but it appears she is just staring at the closed door.

"Nothing of importance." Donna answers softly. "But it is to never be opened, understood?" You nod in response, giving the door one last glance before walking down the staircase.

You shortly arrive in the basement, where there is a worktable in the middle of the room. Against the walls are some other tables and some shelves filled with tools and parts of the dolls, as well as a radio.

Donna pulls out another chair for you and puts it beside her own, while she places Angie at the edge of the table. As she sits down, she pets the empty seat beside her. "Come on."

You try to climb up but the seat is just a bit too high for you, so she has to lift you onto it. You giggle as she lightly pinches your side, which tickles you. Then both of you turn your attention to the table.

There was already a half made doll laying there, it just needed to have the last leg attached and it would be finished. Well, it also still needed clothes but that would be a different task.

Donna shows you how to attach the leg with the use of a needle and thread. You lean forward on your elbows and closely look at how she works. With care and precision, your aunt pulls the needle from the doll's body and then into its leg. Not pulling the thread yet, she works her way around the end of the leg fully, which leaves a zig-zag pattern between the leg and the body. When that's all done, she pulls on the end of the thread, attaching the limb to its body tightly. You watch in amazement at how she does it all, making it look incredibly easy. Suddenly she turns to you.